WyoDoug 2020 Antelope

[WyoDoug]

Day One: Saw a a lot, well over 200 antelope between Hillsdale and Burns, Wyoming. I did have permission on some private but not the right private. Didn't get a shot even on a doe. The land I had permission for did not have water or food. I got permission for more private up north by the HMA I am going to hunt so going to hit that tomorrow before the HMA. But this 3 of the antelope I saw today (forgot card for camera so only had cell and as soon as I took this one, the cell died down and I forgot both the charging unit and power packs). Did good on sometimers LOL.

 

[MTLabrador]

Good luck, Doug. Can’t think of a better way to kick off retirement than an antelope hunt.

 

[WyoDoug]

Day Two is disappointing. I went to Nimmo HMA and saw only 3 antelope and put more than 15 miles of walking in. I checked the springs and hidden water spots I knew about. They are all dry as a bone. The pastures are overgrazed so not ideal habitat for antelope except along the Horse Creek that runs through the restricted area. Disappointing day today. Going back out to where I saw over 200 and work on landowners and hunt at same time. Got some permission where I saw them so hopefully they are on the right land so I can shoot them.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

First year in a long long time I have not been antelope hunting. I wish you luck Doug!
Matt

 

[WyoDoug]

Day Three unbelievable horrible. We are getting dense smoke from the Mullen Fire. Visibility ranges between 50 yards to 200 yards. Whereever them speedgoats are they aint moving so I can see them. I know they are there. Probably have to take a 3 day break on antelope and to back out on the 1st. Got to finalize retirement paperwork. We got so much ash falling in Cheyenne they advised us on the news to stay inside. Below picture was one from someone's FB of Cheyenne.

 

[WyoDoug]

This is this morning as I was setting up so I can glass for speed goats. Not even birds were moving all day and that is bad in itself. That area is full of blackbirds and sparrows.

 

[thomas89]

Nimmo was rubbish the last few times I hunted there. Very very few antelope, smoke certainly wouldn’t help spotting them.

 

[WyoDoug]

Picture I posted was not Nimmo but private I had permission to hunt.

 

[WyoDoug]

Put in a full day on on checking private land I had permission on and checking all of the close by walk-in areas. I am the only one that is hunting the locations that I can tell, but after just seeing more than 200 antelope in the area just a few days ago, I am seeing zero antelope now. I probably put in more than 20 miles worth of walking with a pack on and lost a good five pounds of weight. But this is hunting I guess. You go days without seeing antelope (and elk) and then all the sudden you are swimming in them. Taking today off and going out tomorrow. I noticed something on Google Earth with a location in my hunt areas that may hold promise. Going back north tomorrow instead of east.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Put in a full day on on checking private land I had permission on and checking all of the close by walk-in areas. I am the only one that is hunting the locations that I can tell, but after just seeing more than 200 antelope in the area just a few days ago, I am seeing zero antelope now. I probably put in more than 20 miles worth of walking with a pack on and lost a good five pounds of weight. But this is hunting I guess. You go days without seeing antelope (and elk) and then all the sudden you are swimming in them. Taking today off and going out tomorrow. I noticed something on Google Earth with a location in my hunt areas that may hold promise. Going back north tomorrow instead of east.

Good luck!

 

[Red_fox]

@WyoDoug I’d like to one day chase pronghorns, but for right now I enjoying your hunt from afar. Good luck & stay after them!

 

[WyoDoug]

Day Four - went out to state and BLM land in the Chugwater region. Saw a lot of antelope in the CRP, pasture and irrigated field areas, probably over 150 in one hayfield alone clearly marked "PRIVATE - NO HUNTING", so I was not about to ask permissions.

I did get on some state land and got in a simultaneous stalk of two separate herds of four antelope each. Didn't know which herd to target first because both had a nice buck, but I got within 100 yards of both and was dropping down to prone when the damn doe saw me and bolted. Then both herds bolted, one going east, the other going west. I got two shots on a nice buck but I am not good at hitting moving targets. Prolly should of just let them go but I thought he was moving slow enough I could lead him a bit and still get him. I think I lead too much. First good stalk and first actual shots even though I didn't fill the tag. The buck I targeted was around 14 inches maybe. Back out tomorrow morning. My buddy had to come back and get tags on his wife's car or we would still be out there.

Saw some deer too.

 

[WyoDoug]

Day Five - Back out to the Chugwater area. Found where my big boy was running off to when I found him on the state land I was hunting it on. Something called private posted no hunting. The guy on the right is over 14 inches. Best picture I could get with the cell phone. Camera was left home by mistake.

 

[WyoDoug]

Day 6:

I started out on private property on private property near Burns, WY. The property owner has not run his irrigation sprinkler on his wheat field in over a week so it is dry as hell. No sign that antelope had even been in the area. Checked several properties and walk in areas. No sign at all that speed goats had even went through the area.

Left there and went to Nimmo Ranch. As you can see in the image, the antelope are clinging to private property. They know where they are not shot at. Nimmo also had way too many hunters moving around on the roads. You can tell most of them had not got out of the pickup. I put in over 6 miles of walking according to my GPS tracking app. I spotted a coyote harrassing a stressed out bull and let one of the ranch hands know about the bull. The ranch hand told me he had not seen antelope in some time but did tell me where he saw them most often. My thoughts is WGF gives out way too many permits to hunt this HMA, total of 150 a year. When I first started hunting there, it took me 2-3 days to tag out max and Gretchen who runs the place now only let 20 a year hunt.

Left out of frustration and went to the properties southeast of Chugwater I got permission to hunt on. Found antelope alright, on properties I had no permission on as you can see in my day five post, but these were on a sprinkler irrigated wheat field and I have seen over 100 antelope on this property before. That has to be dropping the farmer's production, yet he refuses to let anyone hunt.

 

[madtom]

Any updates, @WyoDoug? You're getting your money's worth from that antelope tag!

 

[thusby]

I always heard antelope were a one day hunt. I've spent enough time chasing them to know that's not true.

 

[WyoDoug]

I always heard antelope were a one day hunt. I've spent enough time chasing them to know that's not true.

Most of the time it is for me because I am a meat hunter so I usually take what I get. This year is different. First I put in for wrong area to start with. Then area I drew is in severe drought and severely overhunted. I also had the smart idea to try for a 14 inch or bigger buck. Had I not done that, I would of tagged out the first day. Then to top that off being new to the areas I hunted besides Nimmo, I was unsure of the spots where I found herds of 20 or more antelope because it was not showing on my On-X as BLM, state, or walk-in. Took me time to get permissions for private.

 

[WNC2500]

Good Luck @WyoDoug . Still excited to find out how your adventure ends.

 

[WyoDoug]

I had chased two huge massive bucks today without luck. Could not get in range without being spotted. Hunting in area 34 is a challenge. I will likely chose different areas. The situation in 34 is there is a lot of land to hunt but the problem is they border private and not in large enough proportions to make it worth the effort of a repeat.

This buck had kind of unique really curled horns and probably 10 tall maybe but with me running out of time for antelope before I had to focus on elk hunting I decided to take this guy. He was with some does which I did not get a shot at or I would of took one of his does too.

 

[Clzandstra79]

Well done! Congrats